Reds 6, Pirates 0

May 31, 2013|Reuters

Reds 6, Pirates 0: Johnny Cueto allowed one hit in eight innings while Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips hit solo home runs in the 1,000th game played at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

Cueto (3-0) yielded Brandon Inge's short fly ball into left-center field for a single with one out in the fifth inning. Cueto improved to 13-4 against the Pirates - 8-2 at PNC Park - while striking out six and walking one.

Cueto walked Neil Walker and hit Andrew McCutchen with a pitch with one out in the first inning and retired the next 12 batters prior to Inge snapping an 0-for-15 slide. Cueto retired the final 10 batters he faced before Sam LeCure pitched a perfect ninth to complete the one-hitter.

Pittsburgh's Wandy Rodriguez (6-3), who had won his last four starts, yielded two runs and five hits in seven innings. Mike Zagurski allowed a run on a wild pitch and an RBI single to Derrick Robinson in the eighth to make it 4-0 before Zagurski and Bryan Morris issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the ninth.

Bruce, who was 2-for-32 with 16 strikeouts against Rodriguez entering the game, crushed a 2-0 pitch into the first row of seats in right-center for his eighth home run to give the Reds a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Phillips lined a 2-1 pitch into the first row in left field - his ninth - to lead off the sixth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pirates are 488-512 at PNC Park. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 8-2 on April 9, 2001 in the stadium's first game. ... The Reds have recorded a shutout in four straight road series for the first time since 1968. ... Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez missed his second straight game after having his wisdom teeth removed.